Abstract:

An overlay network uses flexible neighbor selection based on network
address translation (NAT) to define routing between nodes. The NAT type
is used as a flexible neighbor selection criteria, either alone or in
conjunction with other criteria. A method of selecting a neighboring node
for a first node in a distributed hash table network includes determining
a desired key value for a node finger table entry and requesting a set of
candidate neighboring nodes near this desired key value. The method
determines a network address translation type of each of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes and ranks the set of candidate neighboring
nodes accordingly. The method selects one of the set of candidate
neighboring nodes based on the ranking. The NAT types of candidate
neighboring nodes are determined by sending probe messages or from data
received from a central overlay network server.

Claims:

1. A method of selecting a neighboring node for a first node in a
distributed hash table network, the method comprising:determining a
desired key value for a node finger table entry;requesting a set of
candidate neighboring nodes;determining a network address translation
type of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes;determining a
ranking of the set of candidate neighboring nodes, wherein the ranking is
based at least in part on the network address translation type of each of
the set of candidate neighboring nodes;selecting one of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes based on the ranking;attempting to establish
a connection with the selected one of the set of candidate neighboring
nodes; andadding a reference to the selected one of the set of candidate
neighboring nodes to the node finger table entry in response to the
connection being successfully established.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining a network address
translation type of the first node, wherein the ranking is based at least
in part on the network address translation type of the first node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting a set of candidate
neighboring nodes comprises requesting the set of candidate neighboring
nodes from a central overlay network server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of candidate neighboring nodes
have key values less than or equal to the desired key value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of candidate neighboring nodes
have key values greater than a key value of a second node finger table
entry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a network address
translation type of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes
comprises:sending at least one probe message to each of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes; andanalyzing network traffic associated with
the probe messages to determine a network address translation type for
each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a network address
translation type of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes
comprises:receiving data from a central overlay network server
identifying a network address translation type of each of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address translation type is
selected from a set of network address translation types, wherein one of
the set of network address translation types includes an open network
connection without network address translation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address translation type is
selected from a set of network address translation types, wherein one of
the set of network address translation types includes a full cone network
address translation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address translation type is
selected from a set of network address translation types, wherein one of
the set of network address translation types includes a restricted cone
network address translation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address translation type is
selected from a set of network address translation types, wherein one of
the set of network address translation types includes a port restricted
cone network address translation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address translation type is
selected from a set of network address translation types, wherein one of
the set of network address translation types includes a symmetric network
address translation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking is based at least in part
on round trip time between the first node and each of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking is based at least in part
on node capabilities of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking is based at least in part
on node bandwidth of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking is based at least in part
on network quality of service of each of the set of candidate neighboring
nodes.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking is based at least in part
on security of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes.

18. A computer readable storage medium including instructions adapted to
direct a processor to perform an operation comprising:determining a
desired key value for a node finger table entry;requesting a set of
candidate neighboring nodes;determining a network address translation
type of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes;determining a
ranking of the set of candidate neighboring nodes, wherein the ranking is
based at least in part on the network address translation type of each of
the set of candidate neighboring nodes;selecting one of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes based on the ranking;attempting to establish
a connection with the selected one of the set of candidate neighboring
nodes; andadding a reference to the selected one of the set of candidate
neighboring nodes to the node finger table entry in response to the
connection being successfully established.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 further
comprising:determining a network address translation type of the first
node, wherein the ranking is based at least in part on the network
address translation type of the first node.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein requesting a
set of candidate neighboring nodes comprises requesting the set of
candidate neighboring nodes from a central overlay network server.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the set of
candidate neighboring nodes have key values less than or equal to the
desired key value.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the set of
candidate neighboring nodes have key values greater than a key value of a
second node finger table entry.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining
a network address translation type of each of the set of candidate
neighboring nodes comprises:sending at least one probe message to each of
the set of candidate neighboring nodes; andanalyzing network traffic
associated with the probe messages to determine a network address
translation type for each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining
a network address translation type of each of the set of candidate
neighboring nodes comprises:receiving data from a central overlay network
server identifying a network address translation type of each of the set
of candidate neighboring nodes.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the network
address translation type is selected from a set of network address
translation types, wherein one of the set of network address translation
types includes an open network connection without network address
translation.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the network
address translation type is selected from a set of network address
translation types, wherein one of the set of network address translation
types includes a full cone network address translation.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the network
address translation type is selected from a set of network address
translation types, wherein one of the set of network address translation
types includes a restricted cone network address translation.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the network
address translation type is selected from a set of network address
translation types, wherein one of the set of network address translation
types includes a port restricted cone network address translation.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the network
address translation type is selected from a set of network address
translation types, wherein one of the set of network address translation
types includes a symmetric network address translation.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the ranking
is based at least in part on round trip time between the first node and
each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the ranking
is based at least in part on node capabilities of each of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the ranking
is based at least in part on node bandwidth of each of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the ranking
is based at least in part on network quality of service of each of the
set of candidate neighboring nodes.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the ranking
is based at least in part on security of each of the set of candidate
neighboring nodes.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The invention relates to the field of data networks, and in
particular to peer to peer overlay networks. Peer to peer networks are
distributed data networks without any centralized hierarchy or
organization. Peer to peer data networks provide a robust and flexible
means of communicating information between large numbers of computers or
other information devices, referred to in general as nodes.

[0002]An overlay network is a logical or virtual network organization that
is imposed on nodes connected by one or more types of underlying physical
network connections. In an overlay network, nodes are connected by
virtual or logical links, each of which can correspond with one or more
paths in an underlying physical network. Overlay networks are typically
implemented in hardware and/or software operating in the application
layer or other top-level layer of an OSI network stack or other type of
networking protocol.

[0003]One class of peer to peer overlay networks is referred to as
distributed hash table overly networks. Distributed hash table overlay
networks use a hash function to generate and assign one or more key
values to a unique node. The set of all possible key values is referred
to as a hash space. Nodes are organized in the hash space according to
their assigned key values. The hash function is selected so that nodes
are approximately evenly distributed throughout the hash space.
Distributed hash table overlay networks are typically highly scalable,
often supporting millions of nodes; robust, allowing nodes to join or
leave frequently; and efficient, routing a message to a single
destination node quickly.

[0005]Distributed hash table overlay networks such as Chord create finger
tables for each node that specify neighboring nodes in the overlay
network. Neighboring nodes typically have a hash or key value offset from
the current node by a predetermined amount. Distributed hash table
overlay networks such as Chord route data traffic by forwarding
information through a sequence of one or more neighboring nodes until the
data traffic reaches its intended destination.

[0006]Typical distributed hash table overlay networks create finger tables
for each node by determining a desired destination key value for each
finger table entry. The overlay network then selects the node with a key
value closest to the desired destination key value as the neighboring
node. For example, if a first node with a key value of 17 needs a
neighboring node with a key value of approximately 33, the overlay
network may select a second node with a key value 31 as the neighboring
node.

[0007]In other distributed hash table overlay networks, flexible neighbor
selection allows the overlay network to select any node within a specific
range of the desired destination key value as the neighboring node. For
example, if a first node with a key value of 17 needs a neighboring node
with a key value of approximately 33, the overlay network may select a
second node with a key value 31 or a third node with a key value of 27 as
the neighboring node. Neighboring nodes can be selected using different
criteria, such as round trip time, node capabilities, node bandwidth,
network quality of service, and security.

[0008]It thus is desirable for an overlay network to select neighboring
nodes using a criteria that is indicative of the nodes networking
capabilities so as to optimize the overall performance of the overlay
network.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009]Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the
invention include overlay networks that use flexible neighbor selection
based on at least network address translation (NAT) to define routing
between nodes. In one such embodiment, the number and type of NATs
between nodes is recognized as a substantial contributor to network
delays and connection difficulties. Using NAT type as a flexible neighbor
selection criteria, either alone or in conjunction with other criteria,
nodes with more restrictive NAT can be assigned less critical and/or less
bandwidth intensive roles in the overlay network, while nodes with less
restrictive or no NAT are assigned more critical and/or more network
bandwidth intensive roles.

[0010]In an embodiment, a method of selecting a neighboring node for a
first node in a distributed hash table network includes determining a
desired key value for a node finger table entry and requesting a set of
candidate neighboring nodes. The method determines a network address
translation type of each of the set of candidate neighboring nodes and a
ranking of the set of candidate neighboring nodes. The ranking is based
at least in part on the network address translation type of each of the
set of candidate neighboring nodes. The method selects one of the set of
candidate neighboring nodes based on the ranking and attempts to
establish a connection with the selected candidate node. If the
connection is successful, a reference is added to the first node's finger
table entry.

[0011]In a further embodiment, the ranking is further based at least in
part on the network address translation type of the first node. In an
embodiment, the network address translation types of candidate
neighboring nodes are determined by sending probe messages to candidate
neighboring nodes and analyzing network traffic. In another embodiment,
the network address translation types of candidate neighboring nodes are
determined from data received from a central overlay network server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]The invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in
which:

[0013]FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate flexible neighbor selection in an overlay
network suitable for use with an embodiment of the invention;

[0014]FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate different types of network address
translation (NAT) suitable for use with flexible neighbor selection
according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0015]FIG. 3 illustrates a method for selecting a neighboring node
according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0016]FIG. 4 illustrates a set of information processing devices suitable
for implementing an overlay network according to an embodiment of the
invention; and

[0017]FIG. 5 illustrates a computer system suitable for use with an
embodiment of the invention.

[0019]The nodes of the overlay network are arranged by their assigned key
values in the hash space 125, or set of all possible key values. In FIG.
1A, the hash space 125 is shown as a ring configuration of all possible
key values from 0 to 2N, with N being the number of bits allocated
for a key value. In some implementations, N equals 160 bits, which is the
size of the output of typical hash functions such as SHA-1 and is
sufficiently large to avoid hash collisions. In this implementation, the
chord overlay network 100 supports up to 2160 nodes and a typical
chord overlay network can include millions of active nodes. Other
implementations can use more or less hash bits.

[0020]In some implementations, each node is assigned a key value randomly.
In some implementations, each node is assigned a key value based upon the
results of a hash function of one or more attributes of the node. The
hash function is selected so that nodes are approximately evenly and
substantially randomly distributed throughout the hash space 125. In
additional implementations, the assignment of key values to nodes is
based at least in part on the topology of the underlying physical
network. In these implementations, nodes are distributed approximately
evenly throughout the hash space 125; however, the overlay network 100
can attempt to utilize a minimal number of hops to a destination node in
the hash space 125 of the overlay network in order to conserve network
resources.

[0021]Based upon the arrangement of nodes in the hash space 125, each node
includes a reference to one or more other nodes. In some implementations
of a chord overlay network 100, each node includes a reference to the
preceding and succeeding nodes. For example, node 106, with a key value
of 60, can include references to nodes 104 and 108, having key values of
45 and 115, respectively. If a new node is added with a key value between
that of nodes 106 and 108, such as a key value of 100, the appropriate
reference of node 106 will be adjusted accordingly.

[0022]In a further implementation, each node includes a finger table
including references to one or more nearby or neighboring nodes. Each
finger table entry references the node nearest to a key value specified
by an offset from the key value of the present node. In some of these
implementations, each finger table entry's offset corresponds with a
binary place value. For example, a first finger table entry has an offset
value of one (20), a second finger table entry has an offset value
of two (21), a third finger table entry has an offset value of four
(22), a fourth finger table entry has an offset value of eight
(23), and so forth. In other implementations, different offset
values can be associated with each finger table entry.

[0023]FIG. 1B illustrates an example of the node relationships specified
by finger table entries in an overlay network 130 according to this
implementation. Node 132, having a key value of four, includes a first
finger table entry specifying a reference 134 to node 136, which has a
key value of five, corresponding with an offset value of one. A second
finger table entry of node 132 specifies a reference 138 to node 140,
which has a key value of six, corresponding with an offset value of two
from the node 132. Similarly, a third finger table entry of node 132
specifies a reference 142 to node 144, which has a key value of eight,
corresponding with an offset value of four from node 132. A fourth finger
table entry of node 132 specifies a reference 146 to node 148, which has
a key value of twelve, corresponding with an offset value of eight from
node 132. Each of the other nodes of overlay network 130 has a similar
finger table specifying references to other nodes.

[0024]Finger tables can have any arbitrary number of entries. Larger
finger tables can decrease routing time for messages, at the expense of
more complicated maintenance overhead for adding or removing nodes. For
example, if a key value is comprised of N bits, each node may have a
finger table with N entries. In other implementations, other finger table
sizes may be optimal depending upon the application.

[0025]In this implementation of an overlay network, each node only knows
the location of the nodes specified by references in its finger table.
However, nodes are capable of sending messages to any other node in the
overlay network via one or more intermediate nodes. For example, if node
132 with a key value of 4 wants to send data to node 150 with a key value
of 0, it first sends the data to neighboring node 148 via reference 146
of its finger table. Node 148 has a finger table with references 152a to
152d. Node 148 forwards the received data to its intended destination
node 150 via reference 152c. In general, each node forwards data received
to the neighboring node in its finger table with a key value less than or
equal to the key value of the destination node.

[0027]A node 162 has a first finger table entry 164 referencing a
neighboring node 165 with a key value of 8. Node 162 has a second finger
table entry 166 with a desired key value of 12. Without flexible neighbor
selection, an overlay network will select the node closest to the desired
key value as the node referenced by finger table entry 166. In this
example, the overlay network would select node 168d, with a key value of
12, as the neighboring node for finger table entry 166.

[0028]With flexible neighbor selection, the overlay network can select any
of the nodes having key values between the previous finger table entry
164 and the desired key value for the current finger table entry. For
example, the overlay network can select any having a key value greater
than 8, which is the key value of node 165, and less than or equal to 12.
Thus, the overlay network can select either node 166a, 166b, 166c, or
166d as the neighboring node for finger table entry 166.

[0029]In prior overlay networks, neighboring nodes can be selected using
different criteria such as round trip time, node capabilities, node
bandwidth, network quality of service, and security. Embodiments of the
invention include using network address translation type as a criteria
for flexible neighbor selection.

[0030]Network address translation (NAT) changes the source and/or
destination ports and addresses of network packets as they pass through a
router, gateway, firewall, or other networking device that performs the
network address translation. Network address translation is often used to
allow multiple devices on a private or local-area network to interface
with a wide-area network, such as the Internet, via a single wide-area
network address. Network address translation is often used to enhance the
security of devices and data on private networks, as each of the devices
is typically assigned a private address that is not always accessible
from hosts located in the wide-area network. This can be used to prevent
malicious activity initiated by outside devices from reaching devices on
private networks.

[0031]Unfortunately, devices behind a router or other NAT device do not
have full connectivity with devices on the wide-area network. This can
restrict or prevent devices behind a NAT device from using certain
Internet protocols. For example, devices behind a NAT device must
initiate TCP connections and typically cannot accept inbound connection
requests from other devices. Other protocols such as UDP can be disrupted
by NAT devices. Many of these restrictions can be overcome by using
signaling servers and other techniques. However, these solutions require
additional network resources.

[0032]In order to fully understand NAT behavior, it is necessary to
introduce the concept of "NAT binding." NAT binding is established (by
the NAT), for example, when an internal host sends a packet to an
external host for the first time. The binding maintains a mapping between
the local transport address, or a set of IP address and port number, and
an external transport address assigned by NAT. Thus, any packet sent from
the same internal host to the same external host will be assigned the
same external port by the NAT as long as the binding exists. The binding
has a lifetime that typically is on the order of about 30 seconds to
about 5 minutes after the last packet (in or out) went through the NAT.
Once this binding is created, the external host can reach the internal
host by sending packets to the external transport address, but the
external port may not be available for anyone in the WAN to reach the
internal host.

[0033]NAT can be classified into a number of different types. FIGS. 2A-2D
illustrate examples of different types of NAT. FIG. 2A illustrates a full
cone NAT configuration 200. In a full cone NAT, the binding (in the NAT)
is established when the local host sends a packet to remote host 1 206.
The binding then enables the forwarding of packets from any external host
to the internal host. For example, network traffic between local host 202
and remote host 1 206 and remote host 2 208 can be passed through the NAT
204, allowing traffic from multiple external IP addresses and ports.

[0034]FIG. 2B illustrates a "restricted" cone NAT configuration 225. A
restricted cone NAT is similar to a full cone NAT, except an external
device can send a network traffic to the internal host only if the
internal host had previously sent a packet to that external device using
the same IP address. For example, if local host 227 sends a packet to
remote host 1 231 at IP address X, then the NAT 229 will allow any
packets from IP address X. The NAT device 229 blocks network traffic from
all other IP addresses, such as IP address Y for remote host 2 233.

[0035]FIG. 2C illustrates a "port restricted" cone NAT configuration 250.
A port restricted cone NAT is similar to a restricted cone NAT, except
that the NAT in this case only allows packets from the same IP address
and port (transport address) as established initially for a packet from
the local host. For example, if local host 252 initially sends a packet
to port A of remote host 1 256 at IP address X, then the NAT will allow
any traffic from port A at IP address X. The NAT device 229 blocks
network traffic for all other ports and all other IP addresses, including
port B at IP address X and any port of remote host 2 258 at IP address Y.

[0036]FIG. 2D illustrates a symmetric NAT configuration 275. A symmetric
NAT configuration maps requests between a client and a specific
destination to a unique external source IP address and port. Requests to
other destinations are mapped to different external source IP addresses
and ports. As can be seen, unique bindings are used to pass packets
through the NAT 279 from local host 277 to each port at each IP address
for remote host 1 281 and remote host 2 283.

[0037]An embodiment of the invention recognizes that the number and type
of NATs between devices is a substantial contributor to network delays
and connection difficulties. By using NAT type as flexible neighbor
selection criteria, nodes with more restrictive NAT can be assigned less
critical and/or less bandwidth intensive roles in the overlay network,
while nodes with less restrictive or no NAT are assigned more critical
and/or more network bandwidth intensive roles. For example, during a
multiplayer online game, one device may be assigned a server role and be
responsible for maintaining the state of the game. The other devices are
assigned to client roles and receive updates of game state from the
device acting as a server. To optimize game performance, the device
assigned the server role can be a device with no NAT or a less
restrictive NAT type, while devices with more restrictive NAT types are
assigned client roles. This reduces potential network bottlenecks that
could hinder game performance. Similarly, devices with no NAT or less
restrictive NAT types can be selected for a relay server role to forward
data to one or more other devices, while devices with restrictive NATs
can be limited to communicating directly only with devices assigned relay
roles.

[0038]Table 1 illustrates different combinations of NAT types and the
overlay network performance issues associated with each combination
according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0039]For case 1, there is no NAT between a pair of devices. These
connections have the least amount of connection restrictions and may have
the least amount of network delay or lag. Devices with these NAT types
can be assigned more critical roles in the overlay network.

[0040]For case 2, there is one NAT between a pair of devices. These
connections have some connection restrictions and more network delay than
those in case 1, but still can have crucial roles in the overlay network.

[0041]For case 3, there are two NATs between a pair of devices, these
connections have more network lag and restrictions than case 2 or case 1.

[0042]For case 4, there are two NATs and substantial connection
restrictions between the devices. Port prediction techniques and/or a
relay or signaling server may be required to maintain this type of
connection.

[0043]FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 for selecting a neighboring node
according to an embodiment of the invention. In step 305, a node makes a
request to a central overlay network server for a set or list of
candidate neighboring nodes having key values equal or nearby a desired
key value. In an alternate embodiment, a node uses an autodiscovery
protocol to create this set of candidate neighboring nodes

[0044]In step 310, the node receives a set of candidate neighbor nodes. In
step 315, the node then evaluates attributes of its connections with each
of the candidate neighbor nodes to determine the best candidate neighbor
node. In an embodiment, the node uses a weighting or scoring system to
evaluate a combination of criteria, such as round trip time, node
stability, device capabilities, network bandwidth, network quality of
service, and security, in addition to the NAT type to rank the candidate
neighboring nodes. In another embodiment, the node uses the NAT type
alone as a heuristic for ranking candidate neighboring nodes.

[0045]In an embodiment, the node receives NAT type information for each of
the candidate neighboring nodes from the central overlay network server
in step 310. In another embodiment, the node sends each of the candidate
neighboring nodes probe messages and uses network traffic analysis to
deduce each candidate neighboring node's NAT type.

[0046]Based upon the ranking of candidate neighboring nodes, step 320
selects the best candidate neighboring node. Step 325 then attempts to
establish contact with the selected neighboring node. If the contact is
successful, then the selected candidate neighboring node is added to the
node's finger table. If the contact is unsuccessful, then the selected
candidate neighboring node is removed from the set of candidate
neighboring nodes and method 300 proceeds back to step 315 to evaluate
and select a different candidate neighboring node.

[0047]Embodiment of the invention can be implemented in a software
application responsible for implementing the overlay network
functionality of a device. This can include a software application, a
software library, an implementation of an application programming
interface, all or a portion of a network stack, an operating system, or a
function in the device firmware. Additional embodiments can be
implemented entirely or partially using hardware as opposed to software.

[0048]FIG. 4 illustrates a set of information processing devices suitable
for implementing an overlay network 400 according to an embodiment of the
invention. The nodes of overlay network 400 include laptop or portable
computers 405; server computers 410; desktop computers and workstations
415; mobile computing devices 420 such as mobile phones, personal digital
assistants, portable digital media players, and portable or handheld game
consoles; and home entertainment devices 425 such as video game consoles,
digital media players, set-top boxes, media center computers and storage
devices. Overlay network 400 can include any number of each type of
device independent of the number of devices of other types. Each device
can implement the functionality of one or more nodes of the overlay
network 400. For each device, the functionality of one or more nodes can
be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or any combination
thereof. Node functionality in software can be a part of an application,
a library, an application programming interface, and/or an operating
system. Furthermore, each node of the overlay network 400 can be
connected with other nodes via any type of wired or wireless network
connection, incorporating any type of electrical, optical, radio, or
other communications means. The overlay network 400 can encompass both
local-area networks and wide-area networks, such as the Internet.

[0049]In a further embodiment, some devices of overlay network 400 may
have restricted capabilities. For example, only a limited subset of nodes
of overlay network 400 may be allowed to process certain types of network
traffic.

[0050]FIG. 5 illustrates an example hardware system suitable for
implementing an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of
a computer system 1000, such as a personal computer, video game console,
personal digital assistant, or other digital device, suitable for
practicing an embodiment of the invention. Computer system 1000 includes
a central processing unit (CPU) 1005 for running software applications
and optionally an operating system. CPU 1005 may be comprised of one or
more homogeneous or heterogeneous processing cores. Memory 1010 stores
applications and data for use by the CPU 1005. Storage 1015 provides
non-volatile storage for applications and data and may include fixed disk
drives, removable disk drives, flash memory devices, and CD-ROM, DVD-ROM,
Blu-ray, HD-DVD, or other optical storage devices. User input devices
1020 communicate user inputs from one or more users to the computer
system 1000, examples of which may include keyboards, mice, joysticks,
touch pads, touch screens, still or video cameras, and/or microphones.
Network interface 1025 allows computer system 1000 to communicate with
other computer systems via an electronic communications network, and may
include wired or wireless communication over local area networks and wide
area networks such as the Internet. An audio processor 1055 is adapted to
generate analog or digital audio output from instructions and/or data
provided by the CPU 1005, memory 1010, and/or storage 1015. The
components of computer system 1000, including CPU 1005, memory 1010, data
storage 1015, user input devices 1020, network interface 1025, and audio
processor 1055 are connected via one or more data buses 1060.

[0051]A graphics subsystem 1030 is further connected with data bus 1060
and the components of the computer system 1000. The graphics subsystem
1030 includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1035 and graphics memory
1040. Graphics memory 1040 includes a display memory (e.g., a frame
buffer) used for storing pixel data for each pixel of an output image.
Graphics memory 1040 can be integrated in the same device as GPU 1035,
connected as a separate device with GPU 1035, and/or implemented within
memory 1010. Pixel data can be provided to graphics memory 1040 directly
from the CPU 1005. Alternatively, CPU 1005 provides the GPU 1035 with
data and/or instructions defining the desired output images, from which
the GPU 1035 generates the pixel data of one or more output images. The
data and/or instructions defining the desired output images can be stored
in memory 1010 and/or graphics memory 1040. In an embodiment, the GPU
1035 includes 3D rendering capabilities for generating pixel data for
output images from instructions and data defining the geometry, lighting,
shading, texturing, motion, and/or camera parameters for a scene. The GPU
1035 can further include one or more programmable execution units capable
of executing shader programs.

[0052]The graphics subsystem 1030 periodically outputs pixel data for an
image from graphics memory 1040 to be displayed on display device 1050.
Display device 1050 is any device capable of displaying visual
information in response to a signal from the computer system 1000,
including CRT, LCD, plasma, and OLED displays. Computer system 1000 can
provide the display device 1050 with an analog or digital signal.

[0053]In embodiments of the invention, CPU 1005 is one or more
general-purpose microprocessors having one or more processing cores.
Further embodiments of the invention can be implemented using one or more
CPUs with microprocessor architectures specifically adapted for highly
parallel and computationally intensive applications, such as media and
interactive entertainment applications.

[0054]Further embodiments can be envisioned to one of ordinary skill in
the art from the specification and figures. In other embodiments,
combinations or sub-combinations of the above disclosed invention can be
advantageously made. The block diagrams of the architecture and flow
charts are grouped for ease of understanding. However it should be
understood that combinations of blocks, additions of new blocks,
re-arrangement of blocks, and the like are contemplated in alternative
embodiments of the present invention.

[0055]The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in
an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be
evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto
without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as
set forth in the claims.